


Love's Weight in Rupees

by QueenieZ



Category: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Genre: Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Crime, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Kissing, Marriage Proposal, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 16:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1311301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenieZ/pseuds/QueenieZ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after the events of A Link Between Worlds, one unlikely "hero" must use his cunning and fat wallet to brave Lorule's seedy underbelly for the hand of his true love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The winds of change are a formidable force both beautiful and frightening, and no one knew this fact better than the people of Lorule.  The thought that such a harsh, dead world could be blessed with such life in just five short years was at one time nothing but a fool's dream; yet it was the radiant glory of their newly restored Triforce which made that dream into a reality.  Though the scars of decline were still very fresh, the land was already showing signs of a strong recovery - lush fields of green, bountiful crops, seasons that were mild and pleasant - and it was these signs that Queen Hilda was eager to experience firsthand.

She often took walks outside of Lorule Castle's gates, though never alone; she always had her most trusted vassal Ravio by her side, and he took just as much joy in watching their kingdom blossom as she did. Well, truth be told, it was just as much the sight of her smile that gave him joy as that of the flourishing land, but that simply gave him all the more reason to join her on her outings.  Arm in arm, they would traverse the fields outside of the castle, talking of various matters and noting each tiny change that brought Lorule closer to its former beauty.  On this day, they had chosen to take the road leading to the old graveyard, and as they approached the bridge that now allowed travelers to cross over the great schisms that divided their nation, Hilda stopped in her tracks as she noticed something near her feet.

"Ravio," she said, blinking her eyes in curiosity, "look at this."

"Eh?" asked Ravio before looking at the ground himself.  "Look at what, Your Highness?"

"The bridge," answered Hilda as she knelt down, touching the damaged edge of the wooden bridge where it met the edge of the cliff, "look how it's splintered..."

When he noticed what she was referring to, Ravio grimaced, recoiling slightly.  "Oh, geez," he said with dread, "it's breaking apart already!?"  He adjusted his scarf with a small pout.  "Man, getting this fixed is gonna take a real bite out of our budget..."

"No, Ravio," said Hilda, looking back up at him with a sparkle in her eye, "don't you see what this means?"

At that, Ravio perked up, refocusing his attention on the splintered edge of the bridge.  Then, his mouth opened in realization.  "...The ground's shifting," he said in slight disbelief.  He kneeled down to Hilda's level and took a closer look.  "It's not by much, but the ground's _definitely_ shifting!"

"The chasms are closing little by little," Hilda said as her smile grew.  "To think our Triforce is capable of even this...!"

"Yeah," said Ravio with an excited nod, "who knows?  Maybe in a hundred years, we won't even need these bridges anymore!"

"Oh, I hope that's the case!" Hilda stood, taking Ravio's hand when he offered it to her.  "We'll have to keep track of how quickly they're closing, won't we?"

"Of course, Your Highness!" Said Ravio with a big grin.  "Sheerow and I will keep our eyes peeled for any and all bridge splinters!" Her happiness, it seemed, was contagious, and to see such a light shining in her eyes after she seemed to have lost it for good - it was enough to put the young man in a mood to sing (though he had no intention of doing so at this moment - Hilda always laughed when he sang, and he was never sure if it was a good kind of laughter or a bad kind).

The queen laced her arm with his once more, gingerly placing her hand over his wrist.  "Thank you, Ravio.  I know I can always count on you."  She lifted the hem of her dress off of the ground, carefully stepping over the splintered wood as they continued across the bridge.  Then, with a small sigh, she shut her eyes, her face calm and serene as she pondered something.

"Er... is something wrong?" asked Ravio, noticing her sudden silence.

"...There's simply so much I want to do for this land," said Hilda solemnly.  "Lorule once had such little hope, and now - now it has so much potential."  She turned her gaze to the outline of the mountains to the north.  "I only hope that I may be blessed with a life long enough to watch my kingdom truly prosper."

Ravio nodded.  "I think that's something we all want for you, Your Highness."

Hilda then turned to face him, the slightest bit of pink coloring her cheeks.  "What about you, Ravio?"  She gave his arm a small squeeze.  "Will you... want to watch it prosper with me?"

"Um -- " Ravio tensed at her question, swallowing as he tried desperately not to turn beet red.  He looked away from her, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand and laughing sheepishly in an attempt to hide his nervousness.  "Haha, well, um, that's a little - er, what I mean is -- "

He froze when he caught sight of Hilda's unamused expression, however.  In shame, he sulked, burying his chin and mouth underneath his scarf.

"...I-I'm sorry, Hilda," he said, "you know I get all tongue-tied when you put me on the spot like that."

Hilda simply sighed and shook her head.  "It's all right, Ravio.  I hadn't meant to embarrass you."  She leaned over and placed a small kiss on his cheek.  "I apologize."

Ravio clenched his eyes shut when she kissed him.  Gods, how long had he been courting her - two years, maybe?  In any case, he knew he should have been able to kill the butterflies in his stomach he got when she did that by now, though he supposed he'd just always been easy to fluster as part of his cowardly nature.  He turned and flashed her a nervous grin.

"I-It's fine," he said, "you don't have to apologize for anything."

As they approached the graveyard, Hilda's attention turned to a barely completed foundation for a building that sat a short distance away.  "Goodness," she said, "they've built this much of the new Sanctuary already?"

Grateful for the subject change, Ravio laughed.  "I guess people work hard when they finally have the chance at an honest job!"

"We should go check on their progress."  With that, Hilda not-so-subtly led him towards the construction site - although he never really minded when she did that.  After all, how could he possibly be her vassal and love if he wasn't willing to follow her wherever she may go?

\---

"Sheerow!  Buddy!  Guess who's _hoooome_?"

The tiny white bird startled awake from his tiny cloth bed on the nightstand, chirping excitedly when he saw his master walk through the door.  He flew over to Ravio, bobbing to and fro wildly in anticipation.

"Hold on, hold on, I'll get it for you," said Ravio as he fished a small bag out of his pocket.  After untying the bag, he pulled out a large, dried berry, which he then offered to Sheerow.  "There you go, friend - I always feel bad leaving you at home, but when Her Majesty calls..." He snickered as his cheeks began to flush slightly.  "Well, it's just nice getting to be alone with her sometimes, you know?"

Sheerow didn't seem particularly bothered by his admission of guilt, and he chirped happily before taking the berry in his mouth.  He fluttered over to Ravio's shoulder, perching on it as he ate his treat.

"You'll never guess what we found on our walk today," said Ravio, sitting down in a chair and crossing his legs as he spoke.  "You know those big, scary holes that are all over Lorule?  Well, it turns out that they're about to close up!  ...And by 'about to', I mean 'in probably a century or so'."  He grinned at his winged friend.  "Pretty cool, huh, Sheerow?"

With another happy chirp, Sheerow flapped his wings in affirmation.

"Yeah," Ravio continued, " _definitely_ cool..." His smile waned slightly, however, as he continued.  "...But then Hilda said something that kinda threw me for a loop.  She was all, 'will you want to watch the kingdom prosper with me?' or something like that."  He sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking at the ceiling.  "I knew she was trying to hint at _something_ \- I mean, that look on her face was pretty suggestive - but I got so flustered by it that I couldn't figure out what she meant!"  He lightly slapped his forehead with his palm and sighed.  "Guess ol' Ravio's too stupid to figure out what a lady wants... Heh, you know, I bet _Link_ would have had this all figured out from the beginning!"

Sheerow tilted his head and let out an inquisitive chirp.

"Come on, Sheerow, it's been five years!  He's _gotta_ be a hit with the ladies by now!"  His face lit up with what could be called a strange combination of jealousy and deep admiration.  "He's strong and courageous and charismatic - I bet you he's having to beat girls off with a stick!  Or, who knows?  Maybe he's even _married_ by -- "

Suddenly, Ravio's eyes went wide in realization.  "...Wait a second..." He sat up straight, sending Sheerow stumbling off of his shoulder.  " _That's_ what she was talking about!?  Getting _married_!?"

Sheerow screeched in surprise at the word "married", and he began to bob up and down in panic as soon as his master had stood up to do the same.

"Sheerow!  Sheerow!!  Do you realize what this _means_!?" he cried, "My days as a bachelor are officially _over_!  No more house!  No more lonely nights at home playing fetch with you!  And most of all...!"

Suddenly, he stopped, glancing over towards his fireplace, above which hung a small duplicate of Queen Hilda's royal portrait.  As soon as his eyes met with those of the painting, he relaxed, and a warm smile creeped across his face.

"...I'll get to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love," he said almost reverently.  He walked over to the portrait, admiring how lovely Hilda looked the day she finally took the title of Queen; the day she made a pact with her people to raise them up from the fear and destruction they had lived under for centuries.  She had been so strong, so determined and fearless, so full of all the qualities Ravio himself could only ever dream of having... Finally, his smile grew into a bold smirk, and he turned back to Sheerow with a confident glint in his eye.

"Well, what the heck?" he said, "I was starting to get sick of this house anyway."

With a slight twirl, Sheerow matched his newfound enthusiasm; he flew towards the edge of the table and watched as Ravio went over to his bookcase and pulled out a small notebook.

"Actually, I've thought about popping the question to her once or twice before.  I even drew up a plan to get my hands on a ring - " he slapped the notebook down on the table, which, unsurprisingly, had "THE PLAN" emblazoned in bold letters on the front, along with Ravio's signature purple bunny symbol, and continued, " - but, well, you know me, I never managed to psych myself up into actually _doing_ it.  But I guess now it's time for us to suck it up and be a little more like that heroic twin of mine!"

Sheerow again let out a questioning chirp.

"Yes, _us_!  I'll definitely be needing your help for this one."  He opened up the notebook to its first page, which consisted mostly of scribbles and notes about engagement rings and where to find them.  "As you know, Lorule's not exactly as wealthy as it used to be, even now that the Triforce is back in our Sacred Realm. So, naturally, something like an engagement ring is going to be pretty hard to come by... unless you know the right people to ask."

He turned the page again, then pointed his finger to a circled name - "Boss Waga".  "Hilda may have cleaned up the village of its crime at a surface level," he continued, "but it's still got a pretty seedy underbelly.  Five years ago, this guy, Boss Waga, was your run-of-the-mill common thief; he was one of the guys pardoned through Hilda's reformation initiatives.  However, rather than turn his life around like he swore to do, he simply found a new, legal way to rip people off."  He frowned and furrowed his brow.  "He now has almost complete control of the market for luxury items - including jewelry - which means he's basically allowed to jack up his prices without much consequence.  What a real scumbag, eh, Sheerow?"

For once, Sheerow did not immediately agree with his master, and he warbled in a vaguely accusatory manner.

"H-Hey, that situation with Link was completely different!" said Ravio defensively.  "Those items really were that valuable, and I used the money for good in the end!  Cut me some slack, okay?"

Sheerow ruffled his feathers, seemingly letting him off the hook.  He peered at the book curiously as Ravio continued.

"So, long story short, as much as I don't particularly want to help finance some ex-con's monopoly scheme, he's pretty much our only shot at getting Hilda the ring she deserves."  He glanced back at Sheerow.  "I'm prepared to burn a few holes in my pockets for this, but I'll be needing you around to watch my back - they still call it the Thieves' Town for a reason, after all!"  With a smile, he held out a finger to his companion.  "Can I count on you for that, buddy?"

With a series of enthusiastic chirps, Sheerow performed another flip in the air, then landed on Ravio's finger.  Then, Ravio laughed, petting the bird on the head with his other hand.

"That's the spirit!" he chuckled, giving his pal a wink.  "If we pull this off, I'll make _you_ the best man at my wedding!"

Sheerow simply cooed at his touch; then, when Ravio left his seat, he flew over to perch on the doorframe and wait for him to get ready.

"Hold on, Sheerow," said Ravio as he gathered two sacks - one large sack, which was filled nearly to capacity with five years worth of personal savings from various small business endeavors, and a smaller sack, into which he stuffed something that Sheerow couldn't quite see. He placed the smaller bag into one of his deep pockets, and he grabbed a dark purple cloak from a nearby coat rack.  After putting on the cloak, he hoisted the bag full of rupees (which had the word "potatoes" painted onto it - he was fully aware of the reputation some Lorulean thieves had for being gullible) over his shoulder, slipped his hood on over his head, and made his way towards the door.

"The underground market opens at sundown," he said as he opened the door.  "If we get there just as it opens, we'll lower our chances of running into any dangerous types."  He then paused, gulped, and added in a nervous voice, "...At least, I hope so."

With that, Ravio and Sheerow left the house, making sure to lock the place up tight before they embarked on their perilous and shadey journey in search of an engagement ring fit for a queen.


	2. Chapter 2

After the restoration of the Triforce, Queen Hilda's first priority was to rebuild the village to the west of Lorule Castle from the ground up.  Although part of the measures she took included officially renaming the town "New Lorule Village" after its original name had been lost to the pages of history, it was still colloquially known as the Thieves' Town - and not without good reason.  Crime was significantly lower than it was five years ago, but it still was not a safe place to live by any means; unrepentant bandits went into hiding, reemerging at night to take advantage of the common folk who simply wanted to rebuild their broken lives, and a shady underground night market specializing in questionably acquired goods sprang up within the remains of the Thieves' Hideout.  It would take years, possibly decades of vigilance and hard work on the part of the people and their queen for the city to become a safer, more honest place to live.  
  
Although Ravio had been supporting these reformation efforts as a servant of the crown from the beginning, that long-term goal had nothing to do with his and Sheerow's current mission.  As he wandered the half-restored stone streets of town, Ravio nervously pulled his cloak tighter around him.  He knew that he would have a better chance of keeping his rupees and his head if he could stay as inconspicuous as he could - seemingly an impossible task given the floppy rabbit ears attached to his hood.  However, ironically, his trademark motif allowed him to blend in with the local cultists, who still donned the likeness of animals out of fear despite the lack of monsters in the area.  As long he uttered a few "mumbo jumbo"s here and there, he could have a good portion of the town fooled into leaving him alone.  
  
The entrance to the Underground Market was always left relatively unguarded, and upon first glance it was nothing out of the ordinary - start-up merchants selling handmade goods at competitive prices - but as Ravio went deeper into the heart of the old dungeon, he found himself walking among a much less wholesome crowd who peddled products that he wasn't entirely sure were even legal.  In addition, big, burly bodyguards that were easily twice his size lined the halls of the seedy market, serving as a warning to anyone who even thought about stealing or snitching on their watch.  The unfriendly atmosphere caused Ravio's heart to begin racing in his chest, and he swallowed nervously as he adjusted his hold on his money bag.  
  
"O-Okay, Ravio," he muttered under his breath, "you can do this.  Just play it cool, play it smooth, don't make eye contact -- "  
  
A soft, concerned chirp sounded from beneath his scarf, and Sheerow poked his head out to check on his master's well being.  In response, Ravio relaxed slightly and give his pal a small, sheepish grin.  
  
"Don't worry, buddy," he said, "I'll be fine!  I just have to remember what Link would do in this situation, that's all."  He began to glance around the room nervously once more.  "O-Of course, Link knew how to use a sword... and how to defend himself if things got nasty... a-and how to merge into the wall where a bunch of thugs wouldn't be able to -- "  
  
Suddenly, he felt himself walk into something large and thick, and he and Sheerow both screeched in surprise.  After struggling to keep his balance, Ravio looked up, and he felt his breath catch in his throat when he found himself face to face with two intimidating looking goons.  One had pale skin and a face filled with freckles and scars, and the other had a darker complexion and hair that could be described as a very thin line of black fuzz; both, however, looked as though they could effortlessly snap the young man in half with one hand.  
  
"Hey Bunny Man," said the second man in a gruff voice, "watch where you're goin'."  
  
"S-S-S-Sorry!" said Ravio, tensing up and stepping away from the guards, "I-I'll pay better attention next time, I swear!"  
  
The freckled man cocked and eyebrow and crossed his arms.  "You don't look like the type that would come around here very often," he said with a hint of suspicion.  "Somethin' you're lookin' for in particular, chump?"  
  
"I... er, I..." Ravio inhaled sharply, then put on the most courageous face he could muster (which honestly didn't look all that courageous, but it was the effort that counted, right?).  "...I'm looking for Boss Waga.  I have some... uh... business with him."  
  
The two men glanced at each other for a moment.  Then, the fuzzy-headed one let out a condescending snort.  
  
"Boss Waga only sees customers with _deep pockets_ , if you catch my drift."  He placed his hands on his hips.  "All you've got is a sack of potatoes.  So unless you plan on bartering with some _damn_ good mashed potatoes and gravy, I suggest you move along, Bunny Man."  
  
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, gentlemen!" said Ravio with feigned confidence as he removed the sack from his shoulder, fished around inside, and pulled out a single silver rupee, offering it to the fuzzy-headed man.  "I can assure you that my pockets are _quite_ deep."  
  
The men's eyes grew wide at his unexpected offer.  Then, the second man eagerly took the rupee with a grin, while the first simply pouted and growled at his partner.  
  
"No, no, don't worry, my friend, there's plenty more where that came from!"  Ravio pulled out another silver rupee and handed it to the freckled man.  "...I trust that this token of good will can get me in to see the Boss, yes?"  
  
The freckled man grinned from ear to ear as he took his portion of the bribe.  "...I think we can make an arrangement," he said.  They both turned and motioned to Ravio.  "Follow us."  
  
With a sigh of relief, Ravio flashed a triumphant smirk to Sheerow; then, slinging the bag of rupees back over his shoulder, he followed the two men deeper into the old compound.  
  
\---  
  
Boss Waga ran his business from the deepest part of the former hideout, where prisoners were once unlawfully held for daring to even remotely offend the thieves that once ran the town.  It was now something of a vault for various treasures - precious stones and ancient artifacts, priceless paintings from a less troubled age in Lorule's history, vintage wine, and, of course, jewelry of all kinds.  Surely, thought Ravio, he would be able to find _something_ suitable for Hilda among this trove of riches!  
  
The two guards led him to a large table, where a man with fat hands and squinted eyes that seemed to be perpetually laughing at everyone he looked at was sitting with a pile of uncounted rupees.  When they stopped, they reached over and shoved Ravio forward, causing him to stumble a little under the weight of his money bag.  
  
"Bunny Man here wants to talk business, Boss," said the fuzzy-headed man.  
  
Waga raised an eyebrow at his new customer, then shooed away the guards with a wave of his hand.  Once they had taken their spot near the entrance of the room, he rested his elbows on the table, drumming his large, bejeweled fingers together with a slight grin.  
  
"Well, well," he said smugly, "aren't you a strange sight?"  He glanced at the ears adorning Ravio's hood.  "...Unfortunately, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and I can't quite see your face - if you could do me the favor of taking off that ridiculous hood, son, I'd be much obliged."  
  
Ravio tensed slightly, looking down at Sheerow for a short moment.  Then, hesitantly, he removed his hood, causing Waga to lean in and examine him more closely.  Suddenly, the older man's face turned into an expression of moderate surprise, and he stopped drumming his fingers for a moment.  
  
"...Well I'll be damned," he muttered with a curt laugh. "If it isn't that _lap dog_ Queen Hilda's always leading around!"  
  
Ravio flinched at the words "lap dog" - not that he wasn't used to such accusations and name-calling by those who were less than pleased with Lorule's royal family, but it was still a small blow to his ego regardless.  
  
"So what's a vassal of the crown doing in a lawless place such as this, anyway?" asked Waga in an interrogative fashion.  "Interested in eschewing the life of a servant and going into a more _profitable_ business?"  
  
"I'd rather gnaw my own leg off," said Ravio, his face twitching slightly in annoyance.  "And my business here has nothing to do with the castle - it's entirely personal."  
  
"And by 'personal', you mean...?"  
  
Ravio puffed his chest out in an attempt to summon more courage.  "I need an engagement ring," he said, "the best one you have."  
  
Waga's grin returned to his face; then, he burst into hysterical laughter.  "Wahaha!  You don't waste any time, son!  I like that!"  He stood up and took a jewelry box from a nearby shelf, then sat it down on the table.  "...Of course, since you're asking for the best, I'm going to assume that 'potato sack' of yours will have plenty of cash to pay up front?  I don't do payment plans, you see - far too risky in these troubled times!"  
  
With a slight gulp, Ravio nodded.  "Of course."  
  
"Then, let's see..." Waga opened the tiny top drawer of the jewelry box, taking each of his rings out and inspecting it closely to make sure it was the one he was looking for.  When he finally found it, he let out a hearty "A-ha!" and showed it to his customer.  
  
"Take a look at this beauty," he said, "one big, stinkin' diamond, as real as they get - and that leafy pattern is a nice touch, too, don't you think?"  
  
Ravio's eyes widened as he gazed upon the ring, which, indeed, had a big, stinkin' diamond attached to a silver band with an ornate leaf pattern.  It was evocative of a flower, just like the ones Hilda admired as symbols of their kingdom's rebirth... Yes, he knew straight away that this ring was the one he would propose to her with; the one that would look the finest on his Queen's beautiful, elegant finger.  
  
"...I'll take it," he said, sitting down at the table and laying his money sack in his lap.  "How much do you want for it?"  
  
Waga's grin grew even wider as he took his seat once more.  "Normally, I'd tell you, _but_..." He turned the ring in his fingers.  "I'll be honest, son; I'm not entirely sure what goes through the mind of a man when he's buying for his beloved, and I'm curious to find out.  I want you to tell me how much _you_ think this ring is worth, and I'll decide if it's an offer worth taking.  Understood?"  
  
Ravio's face fell at his request - he should have known that this _weasel_ would try to play mind games with him!  However, he quickly regained his composure and reached into his bag.  "All right," he said, counting out three golden rupees and laying them on the table, "we'll start with nine hundred."  
  
With a loud snort, Waga erupted in laughter once again.  "Son, I pick my teeth with that kind of money!"  He waved the ring around slightly for emphasis.  "You're going to have to do a lot better than that."  
  
"Fine," said Ravio, taking out two more golden rupees.  "Fifteen hundred, then."  
  
Waga "tsk”ed.  "You're rolling too low, my friend!  I can assure you this ring is worth much more than that."  
  
Growing more agitated by the moment, Ravio slammed a handful of silver and golden rupees on the table.  "Two thousand," he said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Still too low!"  
  
"Twenty-five hundred!"  
  
" _Higher_ , boy, _higher_!"  
  
" _Three_ thousand...!"  
  
Waga burst into a third round of belly laughter.  "Wahaha, you're a piece of work!"  He leaned forward and sneered at the young man.  "This is the love of your life we're talking about!  What kind of a man are you, thinking you can afford to be so _cheap_ with her, huh!?"  
  
At that, Ravio's face turned bright red, and he scowled at the greedy man with the snide smile before him.  "...I know _exactly_ what kind of a man I am," he said, standing up and setting the entire rest of his savings on the table, "I'm a man in love with a very, _very_ fat wallet, and I am _not_ leaving this room until that ring is in my pocket!"  
  
Waga blinked at the sight of the bag; however, before he could speak, Ravio continued on his rant.  
  
"There's over _seven thousand rupees_ in that bag - that's _five years_ of hard work and savings, and I'm willing to let go of _all_ of it if it means getting to marry the woman I've loved my entire life!" He slammed his palms on the table.  " _Do we have a deal_!?"  
  
At that, Waga opened the bag himself, only to be left slack jawed at the impressive amount of rupees that were still inside.  Then, he shut his eyes and furrowed his brow in thought, causing Ravio to instantly regret his little outburst and brace himself for something unpleasant.  
  
"...Heheheh..." chuckled Waga, closing the bag and returning his attention to Ravio.  "All right, son, you win!  I'll take those seven thousand rupees of yours."  He placed the ring in a fancy little ring box, then handed it to his customer.  "Even a money-grubbing son of a snap dragon like me can see you're going to make a certain someone very, _very_ happy."  
  
Ravio's mouth dropped open in surprise at his sudden good humor. "R...Really?" he asked, "You'll take it!?"  
  
"Did I stutter, boy?"  He dropped the ring on the table as Ravio scrambled to catch it.  "Make sure that ring gets to your lady love in one piece!  I don't do refunds or repairs, you hear me? Now off with you!"  
  
"Y, yes sir!" said Ravio with another nervous gulp as he placed his hood back on his head.  "I-It was a pleasure doing business with you!"  
  
"Cut it out with the brown-nosing and get out of my store!" said Waga, walking over to Ravio and taking him by the shoulders before shoving him towards the door. "I've got other customers waiting besides you, you know!  Now scram!"  
  
Though his tone seemed to be more amused than angry, Ravio decided that he wasn't going to risk sticking around longer than he had to.  "All right, I'm going, I'm going," he said, stuffing the ring in his pocket and hurrying away, past the two burly guards and through the seedy black market stalls - but not before shooting one last sad, longing glance at the bag of rupees had had sacrificed in the name of true love.


	3. Chapter 3

Ravio kept his head low and presence inconspicuous as he hurried out of the Underground Market as fast as he could; after all, he could only take the feeling of corrupt merchants and their goons burrowing holes into his pockets with their eyes for so long!  When he reemerged from the entrance and into town, however, he stopped, tugging on his scarf to allow Sheerow to fly free from it.  Then, shielding his feathered friend with his hands to prevent him from being spotted, he spoke to him in a hushed voice.

"See if the coast is clear for me, buddy," he said, allowing the bird to flutter off, surreptitiously checking the nearby roads and backsides of buildings for any potential thief types.  Once he discovered a pathway leading behind a set of houses that seemed to be free of people, he bobbed up and down in place, chirping to signal to his master that the pathway was clear.

Drawing his cloak around himself once more, Ravio swiftly made his way down the path, allowing Sheerow to land on his hand as he walked.  He did not stop until he had made his way to the very edge of the village, where he slipped behind a vacant house that was still under construction.  There, he took one last look at his surroundings before slumping against the house's outer wall with a deep, exhausted sigh.

"I don't believe this," he mumbled, pulling the ring box out of his pocket and opening it.  "I just blew my entire savings on a tiny hunk of rock..."

Sheerow moved to his shoulder and chirped, looking at the ring with curious, beady eyes.

"That's five years of money hoarding gone," continued Ravio with a pained expression.  "All those rupees... all those beautiful, beautiful rupees..."

The tiny creature warbled sadly in sympathy for his master.  However, soon enough, the young man's pitiful expression disappeared, and he looked at Sheerow with a face that was positively glowing.

"...And I couldn't possibly be happier about it!"  With that, Ravio jumped high into the air with loud "Woo-hoo!", then broke into a merry little dance that Sheerow soon joined in on.  "I got it!  I got the ring!  Here comes the groom, buddy!  Wahahaha...!!"

He began humming a joyful tune, and soon his hums turned into lyrics.  " _Gonna give a ring to my girl today! Gonna dance and sing for my girl today!  Gonna get maaaaaaaarried to my girl today, and I'm gonna --_ "

He was interrupted by the shrill sound of Sheerow's frantic chirping, and he quickly turned to him to see what was wrong.  "What!?  What is it, Sheerow!?"

"Well, congratulations, little guy!  When's the big day, huh?"

Ravio shrieked when he finally caught sight of the pair of thieves that had been drawn towards his loud celebration - in hindsight, singing and dancing with a diamond ring in full view probably wasn't the wisest choice he had ever made in his life.  Breaking into a cold sweat, he slowly closed the ring box, laughing sheepishly the entire time.

"W-W-W-Well, er, I don't know," he said, "I-I-I haven't exactly asked her yet..."

The two thieves, who both wore green bandanas over their heads as a sign they were part of a band, looked towards each other and began to laugh.  One of them, a woman with matted hair and a sneering face, turned her dagger in her hand as she spoke.

"You haven't asked her yet?" she echoed condescendingly, "Well, ain't that a shame, 'cause you sure won't get the chance to ask her _now_!"

The other thief, a man with an eye patch, pointed his dagger at Ravio's neck.  "Give us the rock, weirdo, or you'll be leavin' your girl a widow before she even ties the knot!"

With another screech, Ravio recoiled backwards.  His breath grew short and his heart raced as the sight of the dagger.  "Y-Y-Y-You wouldn't rob a man in love blind like this!" he said in a vain attempt to reason with the bandits, "...Would you?"

"We'd rob the Queen herself if we could get away with it!" said the woman, who pointed her own dagger at him as well.  "Now _give us the ring_!"

Ravio could feel his lip begin to quiver, and, for a moment - a very brief moment - he considered giving in to their demands.  Then, suddenly, the image of Hilda's graceful smile passed through his mind, then the thought of his heroes from another world, Link and Zelda.  How could he have forgotten the promise he made to himself to try and emulate their courage? If there was any time he needed such courage, this was it - he had to protect this symbol of his devotion to Hilda at all costs!

Momentarily breaking free from the iron grip of fear, Ravio remembered the contingency plan he had in place for just this type of situation.  Straightening his posture and putting on the most chipper face he could muster, he slowly placed the ring box back in his pocket.

"H-Hold on there, my friends," he said, "I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite wealthy!"  He lifted his hands in a non-confrontational gesture.  "I mean, if I was able to afford a ring like that, who knows what other kinds of treasure I could have on me...?"

The two thieves raised their eyebrows, then looked towards each other.  Finally, the man of the duo spoke.  "...What kind of treasure?"

"Well, let me just fish around in my pockets real quick..." He proceeded to pull out the small sack he had brought from home, its contents shaped vaguely like a bottle.  "I think you'll find what I've got here to be _much_ more interesting than some silly old ring!"

"And what would that be?" asked the woman curtly.

" _BEES_!!"  Ravio uncorked the bottle inside of the bag and set loose three bees in the thieves' faces.  As soon as they began to swarm, the bandits screamed, dropping their daggers and swatting in vain at the angry insects.

As soon as the daggers hit the ground, Ravio wasted no time - he dropped the bottle, scooped Sheerow up in his hands, and ran away as fast as he could.

"Come on, buddy!" he said breathlessly as he ran, "Let's beat it before those bees come back for us...!"

He hopped over a small fence that marked the border of town, and he dashed madly down the path that would eventually lead to his house.  At some point, however, his panic gave way to a strange sense of accomplishment.  Sure, he thought, he didn't claim to be the bravest of men by any stretch of the imagination - but you could never tell him that he wasn't clever as a fox!

\---

After all the trouble he went through to get it, Ravio didn't allow the ring to leave his person for one second until he planned to give it to Hilda the next day.  He kept the ring box in his pocket as he slept, he held it by his teeth as he bathed, and he checked his pockets probably thirty or forty times to make sure it was still in there as he made his way to the castle the following morning.  Of course, this served just as much to ensure the ring's safety as it did to distract him from his inevitable panic at the thought that he was about to ask the most important question of his entire life; however, it did not seem to help very much in the latter department.

It was strange, he thought, that he could feel so happy and so petrified at the same time; so eager to show Hilda his love and yet so afraid of doing something to screw it all up.  The one thought that comforted him was that Hilda was both gracious and forgiving - even after he had betrayed her completely and utterly during the incident with Yuga, she was able to understand his reasons, and somehow, by some miracle bestowed upon him by the gods of Lorule, she came to love him in return.  So surely she could come to look past any potential screw-ups on his part... at least, that's what he hoped.

As he ascended the castle and made his way to Hilda's chambers, he took deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down; he stopped, however, when he realized that he was simply going to make himself hyperventilate instead.  He walked hesitantly through the hall, wondering what he was going to say and how he was going to say it.  Eventually, after becoming frustrated at his inability to think of anything, he decided he would simply wing it - after all, ol' Ravio always thinks best on his feet!  ...Or something like that.

Finally, he reached the door, and he turned to Sheerow, who had joined him as a form of moral support.  "...Sorry to have to ask you this," he said quietly, reaching up to pet his head, "but could you wait out here for a while?  I... I think I want this to be just Hilda and I."

Sheerow bobbed affirmatively, seemingly understanding his master's feelings perfectly.  He fluttered off to rest on a nearby window sill, looking at Ravio expectantly.

Ravio give him a wink.  "Thanks.  You're a real pal, Sheerow."  He then turned his attention to the door and knocked on it.  He frowned, however, when he heard no noise from inside.  He took a hold of the door handle and, just to see if she was all right, cracked open the door.

"...Your Highness?"  he asked.  "Hilda?"

He eventually caught sight of the queen, asleep at her desk.  Ravio sighed in relief that she was otherwise all right.  She was always pushing herself as the sole ruler and manager of her kingdom, so seeing her fall asleep over a pile of papers was not uncommon.  With a smile, he walked into the room, taking off his long scarf and covering her shoulders with it.

"And you say I'm the heavy sleeper," he said before leaning forward to kiss her ear.  "Good morning, Hilda."

Hilda groaned slightly as her eyelids fluttered, and she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and turning towards him.

"...Ravio?" she yawned, covering her mouth as she did so.  "Oh, goodness... did I fall asleep on the paperwork again...?"

"Maybe?" answered Ravio with the slightest of snickers.  "Don't worry, Your Highness, your secret's safe with me."

"Mmm," said Hilda, smiling as she smoothed down her messied hair, "I know.  I trust you, after all."

For a moment, he wondered whether he should wait until she was a little more awake to ask her the big question.  He decided, however, that he'd lose his nerve if he waited any longer; he took a deep breath and scratched his cheek nervously.

"...S-Say, um..." he began, "I know it's a bit out of the blue, but there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Hilda opened her eyes, now mostly awake, and looked at him attentively.  "Of course, Ravio. Anything."

"Er, well, actually, it's less like a 'talk' and more like -- " His eyes widened slightly when he suddenly got an idea, and his face lit up with a little more confidence.  "...An offer!  Yeah, Your Highness, how would you like to hear this great offer I've got for you, huh?"

She blinked at him in slight confusion.  "...Well, all right, I suppose."

"Okay, so," said Ravio as he began to pace around the room and use his most convincing merchant's voice, "how would you like your very own dedicated life partner?  How would you like someone who would devote their life and soul to your service and happiness?  How would you like to have someone who was willing to stand by your side for the rest of their days, through good times and bad, through sickness and through health?"

Hilda's eyes tracked him as he walked around aimlessly, her mouth opened slightly in surprise.  "W-What are you -- "

"How would you like," he concluded, stopping in his tracks and looking her squarely in the eye, "to have someone who will watch your kingdom prosper with you forever?"

Inhaling sharply, Hilda covered her mouth with her fingertips.  "Ravio...!"

"You can have him, my Queen," he said, kneeling down on one knee and removing the ring box from his pocket, "you can have that person with you always.  All you have to do..." He opened the box, exposing the glistening diamond ring inside, "...is take this ring and be my wife."

With another loud gasp, Hilda clapped both of her palms over mouth.  "Oh... oh, gods above, I..."

"Please, Hilda," said Ravio, his hands beginning to tremble ever so slightly, "everything I've ever done, every choice I've ever made, every stupid, stupid mistake I've ever regretted - " he swallowed, " - it was all for you and for our kingdom!  All I want is to keep helping you, to stand beside you even when no one else will!  I just... I just...!"

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Hilda slowly, gingerly take the ring in her fingers.  Then, with a bashful, heartfelt smile, she slipped it on her left ring finger.

Ravio lifted his head, breaking into an open mouthed smile when he saw her wearing the ring.  "Hilda...!" he gasped.

"How could I even dream of saying no?" said Hilda tearfully.  She got on her knees with him and took his face in her hands.  "My loyal Ravio... I'd be honored to have you as my husband!"

Before he could say anything else, she kissed him, causing the butterflies in his stomach to return with a vengeance.  However, this time, he was able to ignore them; he placed a shaking hand on her dark hair, stroking it lovingly.  When they finally separated, Ravio gazed into her face, his cheeks blood red and his eyes filled with tears.

"H-Hilda," he said with a sniffle, "Hilda, I...!"

Suddenly, to Hilda's shock, his face contorted, and he began to weep, his tears streaming down his cheeks in a not so graceful manner.  She furrowed her brow in worry.

"Ravio?" she said, taking the scarf he had draped around her and dabbing his eyes with it.  "Oh, Ravio, please don't cry..."

"I-I-I'm just so _happy_!" he blubbered, "Five years ago, I never thought I'd see you again, and now we're -- !" He buried his face in Hilda's chest and squeezed her tightly, sobbing her name repeatedly as she ran her hand through his messy hair to comfort him.

"There, there," she said, biting her lip to keep herself from giggling at his dramatic display of emotion - though she would have been lying if she said she didn't have the urge to cry with him.

After a while, Ravio's sobs died down, and he sniffled, lifting his head and grinning nervously at his new fiancée.  "...Wow," he said, "that was embarrassing.  Forgive me, Your Highness, that wasn't supposed to happen."

Finally, the queen allowed herself to giggle at his antics.  "It's quite all right," she said, placing half of his scarf over his shoulders so that they shared it.  "I always loved how honest you are with your feelings."

Ravio chuckled.  "Well, thanks."

Hilda then decided to take the time to examine her ring more closely.  "It looks just like a flower," she said, "it's beautiful... how on earth you even find such a thing, Ravio?"

He glanced to the side, scratching his cheek nervously.  "It's a long story.  Let's just say there were lots of rupees and bees involved and leave it at that, all right?"

With a cocked eyebrow, Hilda gave him a sideways look.  " _Bees_? ...You do know that now you _have_ to tell me this story, do you not?"

After a sudden outburst of nervous laughter, Ravio swallowed - she was going to really have it in for him if she knew he spent so much of his personal savings on her, and with such suspicious characters to boot!  ...But she would figure things out sooner or later, and, well, it _was_ a pretty neat story in and of itself, so why not?

"All right then," he said as he covered her hand with his, "just - promise you won't get _too_ mad at me, all right?"

From the outer hallway, Sheerow listened intently as his master recounted the story of their high-stakes adventure - and cringed in sympathy when Hilda began to worriedly fuss over his well being as a result.


End file.
